The good news is home fires are on a downward trend as seen here in graphs from the U.S Fire Administrations website

However, homes built in recent decades burn up to eight times faster than comparable homes built between 1950 and 1970.

WHY??

Many factors are causing fires to burn faster and fiercer. For one, homes are bigger and often have open floor plans, yes it looks great but as a result fire spreads with fewer barriers. Plus all that open space accelerates fires by allowing for faster airflow and more oxygen. Most problematic though are the materials used to decorate homes. Our houses are literally filled with them: Everything from furniture and clothing to carpeting contain these fast-­burning substances.

Given that our homes are literally flammable, fire prevention and awareness have never been more important.

PREVENTION

Fire prevention starts with you and the many things you can do yourself at home AND knowing the things you should NOT do yourself. (I’m not going to include the common sense stuff like don’t leave candles burning unattended with your five kids and three large dogs in a room full of old newspapers)

Lets start with DIY list –

~ Anything that can burn should be at least three feet away from heating equipment like a furnace, fireplace, wood stove or space heater.

~ Invest in interconnecting smoke alarms (see below)

~ Mark a calendar to remind you to do monthly smoke detector tests, to schedule annual heating equipment inspections/chimney cleaning, and to do an annual cleaning of the vent pipe from your dryer to remove lint.

~ All fuel burning equipment should be vented to the outside of the home to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. During the winter check the outdoor vent flaps to make sure it is not blocked by ice or snow.

~ Extension cords should NEVER be used for major appliances, they should be plugged directly into a wall receptacle outlet. Extension cords are intended for temporary use, you can always have more receptacle outlets installed by a professional if needed.

Just call a Pro list –

~ For stationary space heaters, water heaters and central heaters and installing wood burning stoves always use a professional.

~ Have ALL electrical work done by a qualified electrician. and call them if your having problems with circuit breakers/fuses, if you feel a tingling when you touch an appliance or if you notice warm or discolored outlets.

~ Consider installing Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters are a kind of circuit breaker that automatically shuts off electricity when a dangerous condition occurs.

Today it is highly recommended that smoke alarms be interconnected, so that when one sounds, they all sound. The devices should also be able to detect multiple indicators of a fire, not just smoke, but also heat and carbon monoxide.

Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm speaks with a human voice during an alarm, so it can communicate information instead of just beeping. They are readily available and run about $100 at your local Home Depot. It is a safe, effective and smart way to ensure peace of mind for you and your family. It looks for fast-burning fires, smoldering fires and carbon monoxide. And it tells you where the problem is and can alert your phone in case you’re not home. VisitNest.comto learn more.

All our new property developments are equipped with these and installed by local company Modern Castle Inc

Loss Prevention

What is Loss Prevention? it basically refers to protecting your home after the fire to prevent further damage to your property and belongings. To do this you can make temporary repairs to prevent further damage. Board up windows, weatherproof or tarp cover any openings in the roof or walls and remove any saturated ceiling insulation or water saturated carpet. This can be quite overwhelming to most people especially after a home disaster, usually the right course of action to call in the professionals. Hiring the right contractor to restore your home after Fire or Flood damage is a crucial first step for a speedy return to normalcy. Because of our wide range of services, and reputation for being experienced with this type of reconstruction we receive hundreds of calls each year for Fire and Water Damaged Home Restoration.

CLICK HERE for more info and to view fire restoration projects we have completed in the past.

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